As 2011 draws near – and in a later more than a month, it will be here – the time to examine what the title picture in each of the UFC’s seven division might look like. Some divisions already have contenders lined up, while others are in a state of flux. This coming year will also see new names emerge just like every year, as well as long-time challengers make one more run at the gold.

To kick off this seven-part series, we’ll look at one of the newest additions to the UFC stable – the 135-pound bantamweight division, and weight class that could see a change at the top before January arrives.

Champion: Dominick Cruz

The current champion won the belt in March and looked dominant in his first title defense this past August, beating Joseph Benavidez for a second time in convincing fashion. With some of the best footwork and unique striking angles in the sport, Cruz is a lightning quick counter-striker who has solid wrestling in his back pocket as well.

Cruz stands atop a very deep division that could get deeper in the next few months, as the move into the UFC puts more money into play for the lightest-weight fighters competing at the elite level in North America. Cruz has amassed six-straight wins since dropping to the 135-pound division and stands as the unquestioned ruler of the bantamweight division… for now.

The Challengers

First up for Cruz, before the end of the year, is Scott Jorgensen, another talented bantamweight who has put together an impressive winning streak. Inside Scoop: that winning streak began after my first of many interviews with Jorgensen. Coincidence? Five solid wins, including my personal selection of Submission of the Year over Chad George, has put “Young Guns” across the cage from Cruz in December with a chance to enter the UFC as the organization’s initial bantamweight champion. A stand-out wrestler at Boise State, Jorgensen has tremendous cardio and improving hands, as well as an outstanding “Warhawk” haircut.

Like many divisions, the bantamweight class has a competitor seemingly stuck in limbo. Joseph Benavidez has faced Cruz twice, first in a bout to determine the #1 contender and then again after Cruz captured the belt. Both times, the Team Alpha Male standout looked good, but not good enough, as Cruz took a pair of unanimous decisions from the New Mexico native. The problem for Benavidez is that he’s dominated everyone else he’s faced in the division; he’s stopped Miguel Torres, Rani Yahya, and Wagnney Fabiano, leaving him without many options, perhaps until the UFC introduces a flyweight division.

Former champion Brian Bowles is almost the forgotten man of the bantamweight division, and it is his body that is to blame. A broken hand after the second round of his initial title defense cost him the championship, and he’s yet to return to the cage since that night in March. He pulled out of a WEC 52 bout with Wagnney Fabiano due to another injury, and as more and more fighters establish themselves in the title hunt, Bowles keeps sliding further down the contender ladder, despite being just one fight removed from winning the 135-pound championship.

Urijah Faber might be the most intriguing fighter in the division right now, and that says a lot for “The California Kid” considering he’s only recently moved to the bantamweight limit. The former featherweight champion made quick work of Takeya Mizugaki in his divisional debut, and being that he’s (a) one of the few established commodities coming into the UFC from the WEC and (b) the only man to defeat current champion Cruz, an accelerated climb up the ladder wouldn’t be unexpected.

Another former champion who should have something to say about the championship belt in the coming year is Miguel Torres. After suffering back-to-back defeats in the middle of 2010, Torres switched camps, joining forces with Firas Zahabi at TriStar in Montreal and returned in impressive fashion in September with a second-round submission win over Charlie Valencia. Though he might need another win to truly put him in the title picture, Torres joins Faber as one of the only recognizable fighters making the move to the UFC, so his connection to the fans and natural charisma could aid his ascension.

Two younger talents who announced their presence in the division at WEC 52 are Michael McDonald and Demetrious Johnson.

The former is one of the most promising prospects in the entire sport, barely 20-years-old and already in possession of 11 professional wins, including a couple quality victories over veteran competitors. Johnson is a Matt Hume product who proved he belongs at 135 with a dominant performance opposite Damacio Page, a fighter always on the cusp of contendership and packing enough power to ruin anyone’s night in a heartbeat. While many believe Johnson would be even better in the not-yet-introduced flyweight division, “Mighty Mouse” has more than held his own as a bantamweight and could be a dark horse contender by this time next year.

The Others You’ll See

While the fighters mentioned above are the group that should standout in 2011, there are a number of other names that will continue to appear in the 135-pound division and have the potential to upset the apple cart at any stop along the way.

Takeya Mizugaki has offered stiff competition to Torres and Jorgensen in the past, and while Faber made quick work of the Japanese star in his divisional debut, Mizugaki will surely be back and in the thick of things in 2011.

The first bantamweight champion in WEC history, Eddie Wineland has enjoyed a renaissance of late, winning his last three bouts to put himself back into the conversation in the division. He’ll try to make it four-in-a-row in December, and if he keeps his winning streak alive into 2011, we could see Wineland opposite one of the bigger name competitors in the division.

Antonio Banuelos gets an early opportunity to rise up this list at UFC 126 in February as he faces Miguel Torres. A member of the team training out of The Pit with John Hackleman, Banuelos bounced back from a hard-fought loss to Jorgensen with a strong showing against Chad George in his last outing. He’s tough-as-nails and possesses heavy hands, so an upset of the former bantamweight champ in early 2011 isn’t entirely out of the question.

Wagnney Fabiano, Rani Yahya, Damacio Page and Brad Pickett will all be around at the outset of 2011, but with the increased size of the UFC roster, collecting wins will be the only way each of these men will remain employed as winter turns to spring and beyond.

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